Genital herpes What Increases Your Risk

Genital herpes (also called HSV infection) is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that may cause skin blisters and sores in the genital area, but often causes no visible symptoms.

It is possible to get genital herpes through sexual contact with an infected person even if he or she has no symptoms. After a person is infected for the first time, HSV stays in the body for life. While some people may have only a single outbreak of herpes, other people will have repeated outbreaks. Medicine can reduce the number and severity of herpes outbreaks, but it cannot cure the infection.

The immune system is the body's natural defense system that helps fight infections. An impaired immune system does not work properly and cannot effectively protect a person against infection.

Some conditions and medicines weaken or impair the immune system. These may include:

    * Alcohol or drug abuse or withdrawal.
    * Certain diseases or conditions. Diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, or conditions in which the body mistakenly identifies its own tissues as harmful (autoimmune disorders) are some examples.
    * Chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
    * Some medicines, such as corticosteroids or those taken to suppress the immune system after an organ transplant.
    * Surgery to remove the spleen (splenectomy).

Factors that increase your risk of getting genital herpes include:

    * Having multiple sex partners.
    * Having a high-risk partner or partners (partner has multiple sex partners or HSV-infected sex partners).
    * Having unprotected sexual contact (not using condoms).
    * Starting sexual activity before age 18.
    * Having an impaired immune system.
    * Being a woman. Women are more likely than men to become infected with HSV and tend to have more severe and longer-lasting symptoms. Women also are at a greater risk of having complications from a genital herpes infection.

Infection with HSV, especially if you have open sores, also increases your risk for becoming infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) if you are exposed to HIV.

Factors that may increase your risk for recurrent genital herpes outbreaks include:

    * Emotional stress.
    * Fatigue.
    * Other infections, such as a cold or the flu.
    * Physical injury, such as irritation, of the genital area.
    * Any condition that impairs your immune system.


 

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